Shifting cargo from road to sea

During the last 15-20 years a substantial amount of resources have been devoted towards increasing the share of short sea shipping in transport chains. Despite all these efforts, success stories within the industry are few and far between. Therefore, SHIF T aims at explaining why this is so and to point at directions to go in order to increase the share of short sea shipping in total freight transport. The project will have two distinct different phases. In phase one, the research content will be an examin ation of why cargo shifts from road to sea have been largely absent, description of selected transport corridors and identification of specific types of goods especially suited for such a shift, as well as their potential. The environmental profile of var ious transport chains will also be examined. In addition, the fundamental commercial and operational conditions that can generate cargo shift from road to sea will be identified. In phase two, the focus will be on a final identification and specification of the necessary commercial and operational conditions, and equally important developing targeted operational solutions for increasing the use of sea transport services. This will be based on business cases with increased participation of industrial partn ers. The aim is to strengthen the position of the Norwegian short sea shipping sector, as well as contributing to more sustainable transport solutions for cargo owners. Furthermore, the project will deliver clear policy recommendations for supporting the development of more sustainable transportation networks. The knowledge generated by the project will also be relevant for European stakeholders, required dissemination activities will therefore be accounted for.